What is such a small skillet for? Melting butter for popcorn, frying an egg, baking an individual serving of apple crisp or cornbread. You could even get enough for everyone in the family to have their own!

I’m not sure why, but my parents keep one of these on their breakfast table. Sometimes you just need leverage at hand. This is made of drop-forged steel, a process in which manufacturers use machine-powered hammers to pound the steel into the die, just as blacksmiths do by hand. In any case, it’s a strong little bar, good for such tasks as prying up carpet tacks, pulling apart two items, prying out studs. Wear your safety glasses, in case you drop one end in your Grape-Nuts.

A one-cup worksite coffee maker used every day by Popular Mechanics’ home editor Roy Berendsohn. If Roy likes it, it’s a good product. This operates by cord or on a lithium-ion battery, and it has a permanent filter so no paper ones needed. It’s a bit over eight inches tall and has a cup clearance of 3-1/2 inches, if you want to also give someone a nice worksite mug that will fit in it.

This collapsable handle that mounts on the back of your phone is great to prop it up for hands-free viewing, like for killing time at the airport watching videos. Or you can wind your earbud cord around it. It’s what you need to help you do stuff on your smartphone, like taking photos, without being so likely to drop it. Maybe you don’t ever drop yours, but even so, this PopSocket is handy.

This light (0.6 ounces) and strong back-country trowel from TheTentLab makes doing your business in the wild easy to hide all traces of. But it is also good for tasks at the campsite such as digging a trench around a tent in a rainstorm (just remember to put the earth back in the trench when you de-camp). So it’s not just for burying poo.

A good sock is a joy, or at least very satisfying to wear, for a long time. SmartWool’s Anchor Line is a practical pair for everyday wear or a camp trip, made in the U.S. of merino wool and a bit of nylon and elastane. You need that elastane for stretchiness, but it is the soft wool that snugs up your feet. These are breathable too. Get a couple pairs.

At 11.6 by 7.5 by 2 inches and 1 pound 9.6 ounces, this is a bit bulky for backpacking, but it is a super-organized, compact camp-kitchen knife set (6-inch chef’s knife, 6-inch serrated knife, both with sheaths), and it has a folding cutting board. And a paring knife (also with a sheath). And the ballistic nylon case is tough. A pleasant price for a tidy set of knives.

A delicious gift basket to accompany a nice tot of Scotch by the fire. You just need this and the Scotch. Comes with: manchego, pecorino tartuffelo, Murray’s Spiced Cherries, some heather honey, crackers, and serrano ham (and more!). You have to buy your own bottle of Scotch though.

Filson’s Tin Cloth, which this hat is made of, has a water-repellent oil finish and can be rewaxed to keep it so. It’s got a sweatband inside the hat and a wide brim to keep rain off your face in the field, whether you are a poet contemplating a gloomy fall day or a hunter heading for a blind on a neighbor’s farm.

This compass has a declination screw, grid lines, luminescent markings, and a baseplate with magnifying lens. Because sometimes you want to know the direction without getting sucked into your smartphone.

This single-malt whiskey from Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas, is redolent of "buttered stone fruit, banana and pears," with a toasty finish. It would go nicely with the Scotch Lover's Collection, above. Or on its own, as you sit readingPopular Mechanics.

This portable console means you can play your favorites wherever you go. This is a bit of cash to spend, sure, but last-minute does not have to mean cheap! If you want to amaze someone you love, give this.

These light, waterproof binoculars are a great set for a beginning birder. The twist eyecups are handy for eyeglass wearers. The rubber housing is rugged, and the fully multicoated lenses reduce reflections and give sharp images.

Get yourself some beef jerky (try Appalachian Jerky Company's Hickory Smoked, made in Vermont)—I mean, give it as a gift. But get some for yourself too. Or try this delicious Rainbow Trout Jerky from Mountain America Jerky. And maybe some Hot Hawaiian or Spare Rib jerky from BKBJ. Or make your own.

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